Kerry arrives in Oman for Yemen peace talks

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Oman's capital for talks aimed at ending Yemen's ongoing war.
 
Oman state news said Kerry will be in Muscat for two days, in one of his last trips as secretary of state before President Barack Obama's administration ends on 20 January.

He is scheduled to hold talks on Monday with Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi and to meet ruler Sultan Qaboos.

Kerry has been pushing for a settlement of Yemen's deadly conflict, which escalated with the military intervention of a Saudi-led coalition to support the government against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in March 2015.

Oman, one of the few Arab states which have good relations with Iran, has used its links to mediate peace talks between the insurgents and Yemen's UN-recognised government of president Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

It is also the only Arab nation in the Gulf not part of the Saudi-led coalition, although it maintains good relations with regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia.

Around 10,000 people have been killed and nearly 37,000 wounded in Yemen since March 2015, and the UN says millions are in need of food aid with starvation setting in.

Another 21 million people urgently need health services, according to the UN health agency.

After Oman, Kerry  will travel to Abu Dhabi for talks on regional conflicts, including Syria.